The Spick and the Span

About this book

The city of Helm, famed for its clever magicians, is being overwhelmed by a build-up of loose magic. 

Magicians have become so lazy that they use spells for everything, from tying their shoelaces to pouring a cup of tea, and the spare magic that leaks out is causing chaos. Without warning, your house might turn to ice cream or your shoes into goldfish, but luckily there are specialists who can help to put things right.

Ward, a dwarf, and Magda, a warrior girl from another world, are among the magically resistant children able to clean up some of the excess. 

But when magic-eating monsters start to rip holes in reality and eat Ward’s best friend, they realise things are getting out of control. Could they be Helm’s only hope of survival?

With non-binary characters, a transgender vampire, a reluctant ghost, a stowaway frog who may be more powerful than he looks, and a unique imagining of a world infested by magical energy, this is an inclusive, funny and thought-provoking fantasy adventure. 

Amidst the mayhem there are subtle themes of teamwork, trust, friendship and the realisation that kindness may be more powerful than blood when making a family.